Generation of assembly sequences with ternary operations

This paper describes a method for the generation of assembly sequences with ternary operations. While most assembly sequences planners deal with sequences where the operations mate two parts, we propose a method that generate sequences with ternary operations, that assemble simultaneously three parts. This method examines first the situations where a ternary operation is more efficient than two binary operations. Then it determines the ternary operations that are missed by the assembly sequences planners with binary operations. This method is an extension of the traditional assembly sequences planners where the combinatorial explosion of such problems can still be handled.